… And that day, when the singles fought at the Russian Championship, we lived through. And survived. As Sasha Trusova said, we live in this second, it’s too early to think about the Olympic Games. “We will prepare for the European Championship.” Who exactly will prepare – will name the coaching council, which will take place in St. Petersburg on Sunday.
What Elizaveta Tuktamysheva arranged in the hall of her hometown is a reason for our common pride. Lisa knew in theory that she would lose. But figure skating is practice. And here, even after mistakes in the short program, even with less technical base than the competitors, it was necessary to fight to the last opportunity. Yes, yes, the very words of Mishin always work on the ice: “This is life, no one is immune from mistakes.”
The day before, Lisa said that she would like to remember this day of the free program without regrets. She did not just succeed: the flurry of love that hit the skater after the hire was phenomenal. And it looks like the frenzy of the stands at the Olympics.
“I wanted to wink at the judges, but I restrained myself and left it for later.” This is Tuktamysheva in all her glory. The fourteenth Russian championship for her, just celebrated its 25th anniversary. She competed for the first time at the national championship at the age of 11 and took 10th place. Then she won only once: in the 2012/2013 season.
Lisa did almost everything she could in the free program. And her beloved axel with three and a half turns, which for some reason decided to fail on the first day of the competition, submitted to her twice this time (on one – under-rotation).
And Alexandra Trusova, Lisa’s main rival after the short program, was preparing her weapon. First, Trusova performed a quadruple flip, then – and it was possible to fall with her – fell from a quadruple toe loop. And in the second half of the free program she minted two cascades – a quadruple lutz – oiler – a triple salchow and a lutz in four turns and a triple toe loop.
Sasha will say that she began to regain her form after a leg injury – she did not go out on the ice for three weeks – a little over a month ago. I just skated for a while, then I started jumping. And she entered the Russian championship “not at all in the best shape.” I am satisfied with the result, but hopes that there will be changes for the better before the European Championship. Will continue to work on the triple axel (from which she fell in the short program).
Anya Shcherbakova won the bronze medal of the Russian Championship. She fell from a quad flip at the start of the program, the only ultra-si element. Yes, at the start of the season we saw a different Anya – more convincing. And it is a pity that not the best skating fell on the Russian championship. But the program, even without a broken quadruple, is expensive in terms of points, and Anya’s components are always high.
Shcherbakova herself said that, of course, she was unhappy with the free program. And then she announced a work plan in training: she would devote as much time as possible to training quadruple jumps in order to roll out a complex set. “When we started jumping quadruples, it seemed like something incredible, now it is normal. I would like to correspond to this. ”
Kamila Valieva, after an unconditional victory, breaking away from everyone by insane points (283.48 points, Trusova – 248.65, Shcherbakova – 239.56, Tuktamyshev – 224.40 points), made everyone laugh after the end of the competition: “I wouldn’t say that I’m right in my best shape, it feels like I’m between good and average shape. “
I meant that I did the maximum, but there is always a benchmark that you can strive for. And, if you look at the workouts, it might be better. “This is what I will strive for.”
Three quadruple jumps and a triple axel. This is a crazy ultra-si kit that is not just announced, but executed. And not just executed, but in the highest way. Camila’s famous junior program “Girl on the Ball” seemed to set the direction of her fate on the ice. In Valieva’s speeches, there are no sharp corners that you can glance at. Technique in the shell of art. The ball of perfection. And shock.
A taken aback is what Kamila Valieva causes. Deafens first with rolling, then – as if finishing off with words. Laconic. And – everyday. And she doesn’t care which one to go out on the ice: the first – as in the short program, or the last – as in the free program.
And when the champions from the Eteri Tutberidze group make promises, they do not grab them out of thin air. And do not run after the words “more beautiful” at press conferences. They know their value. Promises are self-empowerment backed up by facts.
These were the battles of adult figure skaters at the Russian Championship. The national championship, which simply cannot even be dreamed of by one of the competitors.
But juniors were also admitted to the championship. And they will begin to set their own benchmarks as early as next season.
For the first time in the history of women’s single skating, 14-year-old Adelia Petrosyan performed two quadruple rittberger in the program. Again the record from “Khrustalny”. And all this is somehow so simple: both visually and according to Adelia herself. He says: two quadruple rittbergers succeeded, they say, I’m glad, and now I will prepare for the Russian championship among juniors. “I was worried because this is the adult championship of Russia. I tried to match. “
Sophia Samodelkina (also a 14-year-old athlete) from the group of coach Sergei Davydov performed three quadruple jumps. Wow, gave it a heat. Do you know what she said? “I performed after Sasha, rooted for her, for Anya and Kamila, but did not think about myself. I am glad that the girls qualified for the Olympics. I was sick for them more than for myself. “
Two triple axels were shown in the program by 15-year-old Sofya Muravyova from Evgeni Plushenko’s school. I amazed him with his performance even during the short program.
Did you need juniors for this championship? At the passionate and tough, not to say cruel, qualifying championship, they, of course, heated up the degree even more. Yes, this is our tradition – to run in those who will go on the adult ice tomorrow. But women’s singles skating in Russia is going the way no one went.
“They treat quadruple jumps differently, for juniors this is the norm, but for us it was something new,” said Sasha Trusova, speaking of competition as a way of moving forward. And this is true, it is competition that pushes the strongest forward, ruthlessly squeezing out those who have lagged behind. But the selection for the Olympic Games happens every four years. And it is not at all a secret that it is easier for our leaders to perform in the international arena than at home: only three Russian figure skaters can sort things out there. The Russian championship had too steep intrigue before the main starts of the season in the women’s singles. I don’t want it to sound rude, but personally, this time the juniors even “interfered” with me.
But, of course, the issue is not about perception – someone, probably, was eager to see them in comparison with adults. It seems that the level of junior skating in our country is now such that girls do not need to get used to wrestling, and let the comparisons begin when they should. Nevertheless, when Liza Tuktamysheva or Adelina Sotnikova appeared at the national championships, they were an exception. Like the stars of today. Now it’s not like that.
“We must comply.” These words, which have sounded more than once in St. Petersburg, both from adults and juniors, are not accidental. Our women’s skating without stopping sets new goals for itself. And it didn’t start with the selection for the Olympic Games. The level, which is beyond all schools in the world, is becoming the norm in Russia. Now the exception is when a junior who makes herself talk about herself does not perform ultra-si elements.
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